Partners

Leaders from California's conservation community at an annual CARCD Conference. From left: Carlos Suarez, NRCS State Conservationist; Glenn Franklin, former CARCD Board President; Dr. David Bunn, Director of the Department of Conservation; and Karen Buhr, Executive Director of CARCD

Our statewide network partners with landowners and land managers, state and federal agencies, and non-profit organizations to make voluntary conservation an on-the-ground reality in local communities throughout California.

We are designed to help California get work done on-the-ground.

We give state and federal agencies an effective, locally-governed, non-regulatory way to address the natural resources challenges that our communities are facing right now. RCDs can receive grants, contract directly with agencies, and develop intergovernmental agreements to complete work on behalf of other public agencies. With our low overhead, we are able to complete on-the-ground projects quickly and at-cost, often at a fraction of the expense that a private contracting firm might charge.

We connect individuals and communities across political and economic divides.

As neutral entities with deep roots in our communities, we can lead collaborations with individuals or partners who may have very different viewpoints to find common ground and achieve shared goals.

We serve as a trusted bridge between people and government.

We work with community members, landowners and land managers, local, state, federal agencies, and non-profit partners to make conservation happen on-the-ground. With our legacy of voluntary conservation, RCDs have the trust and respect of private landowners and local communities.

We efficiently combine and leverage resources.

The RCDs are versatile and accountable special districts that can provide everything from technical assistance to design and installation of conservation projects to community education programming. We get projects done by leveraging diverse private, state, and federal funding sources, as well as creative partnerships, to bring conservation and natural resource management solutions to our communities.

We believe that partnerships and collaboration are essential to achieving a brighter future for California, and that together we can conserve and manage our collective natural resources. If you feel the same, please reach out to us today to see how we can partner.